Jan. 5, 2010
By Doug Richards
UCFAthletics.com
OXFORD, Miss. (UCFAthletics.com) - A year ago, UCF's visit to Tad Smith Coliseum was not a pleasant one, as host Ole Miss rallied from a first-half deficit to post a big win. Tuesday's game against the 14th-ranked Rebels did not go any better.
The hosts raced out to a big lead early and then rolled to an 84-56 victory. The Rebels (12-2) shot 50.8 percent overall for the contest, and limited UCF to a 33.9 percent shooting performance overall and an 0-for-11 showing from 3-point range.
UCF (8-6) committed a turnover on the opening possession of the game, and then Ole Miss seemed to hit 3-pointer after 3-pointer. The Rebels led 11-2 four minutes into the game, prompting UCF head coach Kirk Speraw to call a timeout. The stoppage of play, and a myriad of substitutions, did little to stop the Rebels, who shot 64.3 percent in the first half, and made 7-of-13 (53.8 percent) of their attempts from deep. The hosts took a 46-24 advantage into the locker room at halftime.
"They just hit us hard early. We didn't have the composure that we needed to have," Speraw said. "We did not have the response we needed to have. Certainly they drilled some shots early, and made it tough on us."
The contest was the second of the year for the Knights against a nationally-ranked opponent. UCF came up just short at No. 14 UConn on Dec. 20, falling 60-51. The Knights were also meeting their second SEC program this season.
Terrico White of Ole Miss scored 16 of his game-high 21 points in the first half. The Rebels blocked nine shots and finished the game with a 46-35 edge on the glass. UCF's performance from 3-point range marked the first time in 431 contests that the Knights did not connect on a triple.
Sophomore guard A.J. Rompza (Chicago, Ill.) led UCF with a career-best 16 points. He was one of two Knights who finished the contest with double figures in points as freshman guard Marcus Jordan (Highland Park, Ill.) matched a season-high with 13 points in 29 minutes.
UCF will open Conference USA play Saturday, hosting Rice at 5 p.m. at the UCF Arena.
For the latest news on the Knights, log on to UCFAthletics.com - the official site for UCF varsity sports. The site, which also contains ticket and Golden Knights Club donor information, is also the home of UCF's new online apparel store. Also visit UCFPhotos.com, the exclusive fan source for UCF action sports pictures.